Toe separating and directing device



Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOE SEPARATIN G AND DIRECTING DEVICE Saul Ferri, Rochester, N. Y.

Application April 26, 1949, Serial No. 89,734

9 Claims. (01. 36-85) Because so many people wear shoes that do not fit them properly, toes become more or less bent or deformed.

The object of this invention is to provide a 'device in shoes that will hold the big toe separate from the other toes and straighten the big toe.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a simple an effective means for supporting and holding the separating device in the insole of the shoe These and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the toe of the shoe partly broken away to show the insole in section and the separating device in elevation.

FigureZ is a side elevation of the separating device showing the insole in section.

Figure 3 shows an end elevation of the separating device viewed from the right in Figure 2 and showing the insole in section.

Figure 4 isa top plan view of the insole of the shoe partly broken away-showing the separating device in position thereon.

Figure5 is a top plan view of the insole partly broken away showing the slot therein and before the-separating device shown in Figure 4 is inserted. therein. I

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 650, E0: of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a top plan view of the last partly broken away, which last is used in making the shoe with the insole and separating device, which constitutes my invention.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the insole partly broken away with the same separating device thereon that is shown in Figures 2 and 3 with the lower portion of the separating device cut or trimmed away.

Figure 9 shows a sectional elevation of the insole partly broken away with a modified form of the separating device in which the left hand portion is rigid with the insole and the right hand portion is flexible with reference to the left hand portion; that is, it can swing sideways thereon.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the insole partly broken away showing a modified form of the slot therein that is used to hold the separating device.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings reference numeral l indicates the standard insole partly broken away that is used in the making of the shoe and to which the upper and welt of the shoe are sewed. 2 indicates a slot formed in this insole, which slot is tapered, being slightly wider at the left and narrower at the right as shown in Figure 5. It is also beveled from top to bottom at the left hand end as indicated at 3 in Figure 6. It is also slotted transversely as indicated at a and 5 in Figures 5 and 6, the slots 4 and 5 being short and extending all the way from top to bottom of the insole so as to make the tongue 5 enclosed between them, slightly flexible. Reference numeral 7 indicates the separating device which constitutes a part of my invention. This separating device is made of rather heavy leather and is rounded at the forward end as indicated at 8 to conform to the shape of the inside of the finished shoe. At the rear end the separating device extends straight as indicated at 9 and it is cut away on the forward side to form a tapered end or tongue l0 and a shoulder II which shoulder rests on top of the insole. The tapered end If] is forced through the slot 2 of the insole. The lower edge of the separating device is beveled horizontally as indicated at i2 in Figure 3 to make the insertion of it in the slot that much easier. The separating device is hollowed out on the side of the big toe as indicated at [3 in Figures 3 and 8.

The separating device is joined to the insole by forcing the tongue ill into the slot 2 so that the shoulder II' will rest thereon as shown in Figure 2. The separating device has the same thickness as the left hand end of the slot 2 shown in Figure 5 and is therefore a little thicker than the width of the slot as shown tapered-at the right in Figure 5. Because the tongue i0 is beveled at the bottom as indicated at l2 in Figure 3 it will find its way into the slot 2 as it is forced down therein and the thickness of the tongue will fit the left hand end of the slot 2 shown in Figure 5, but because it is thicker than the width of the tapered slot at the right in Figure 5, it will by friction bend the tongue 6 down slightly as shown in Figure 3. When the shoulder ll makes contact with the top of the insole, the separating device will be found tightly wedged in the slot 2 so that any attempt to pull the separating device out of the slot will draw the tongue 6 up and squeeze the separating device all the more tightly in the slot, so that glue or any adhesive is unnecessary for the purpose of holding it in place and in a vertical position. After the separating device has been forced into place the f3 tongue can be trimmed away as is shown in Figures 8 and 9 and is shown by the dotted line in Figure 2.

The insole with the separating device fastened thereon is then made into a shoe in the ordinary way, it being understood that the part of the separating device which extends below the insole extends into that portion of the shoe between the insole and the outsole of the shoe that is ordinarily filled in with the cork filler.

It will also be understood that the insole is applied to the bottom of the last M, which is shown in Figure 7 and the separating device extends up into the slot [5 formed in this last and the toe and upper of the shoe including the lining, boxing and leather is formed over this separating device so that when the last is withdrawn the separating device supports the toe of the shoe from the inside, and prevents the forming of creases in the upper.

In Figure 9 I have show the separating device 1 with an extension I8, preferably of sponge rubber, fastened to the upright edge 9 at the right hand of the separating device. This extension is fastened at the top by a rubber strap e;

E9, which laps over the rounded edge 8 of the separating device and it is fastened to the separating device at the bottom by the rubber strap 20, which passes around and engages both sides of the separating device I and is attached to both or left on its vertical axis; that is, on the upright edge 9 0f the separating device, just as though it were hinged thereon and to that extent allows freedom of movement of the foot. It can also yield if the foot presses it forward.

In Figure 10, I have shown a modification of the slot shown in Figure 5. In this modification, the slot is indicated at 25 and is widest at the left and tapers a little narrow toward the right.

The insoleis slotted transversely on one side near one end as indicated at 26 and on the other side at the other end as indicated at 21. This permits the insole on both sides of the slot to yield when the tongue of the separating device is inserted in the slot, but the preferred form is as shown in Figure 5. It will also be understood that the big toe will engage on the right or tongue side of the separating device as shown in Figure l.

It will also be understood that the left hand shoe is shown in all the figures of the drawing and the right hand shoe would be made to correspond tothis except that the parts would be reversed in position.

It will be understood that the stocking can be out or slit so as to permit the insertion of the big toe on one side of the separating device and the little toes on the other side of the separating device, or the stockings can be specially made for the foot as shown in Patent #1,554,883 issued September 22, 1925 to Max Sahlin.

It will also be understood that for the upright separating device I prefer to use a leather that is stifier and harder than the leather in the insole. This is desirable so that the toe of the shoe will stand up, even when a great weight is placed on it and the upright will prevent the forming of creases in the upper and will prevent the big toe from crowding the four little toes.

It will also be understood that while the upright separating device is placed nearly an the central line of the insole, I prefer to place it so as to give the big toe a little more room than the other four toes put together.

This separating device can be placed in a shoe that is already made. For this purpose the forward part of the outsole must be separated from the shoe above it, whether it be a welt shoe, a McKay shoe or a shoe in which the outsole is cemented.

In a welt shoe, the welt is separated from the E upper and the forward part of the insole is then vice is fastened thereon as is described above before it is put into the shoe. The new piece of insole will extend or more beyond the rear end of the slot and the .old insole must be cut away to correspond. The new short piece of insole with the separating device thereon finished as shown in Figure 8 is then placed on the last shown in Figure 7 and is inserted in the shoe with the last so as to fill the space left by cutting away the original insole.

After the new piece is inserted, the insole is fastened to the upper and welt by sewing in the usual way and the outsole is then fastened to the welt in the regular way'and the last is then removed.

In a McKay shoe,,or a cemented shoe, the outsole is separated from the insole so as to expose the bottom of the insole not cut away, but the old insole is then slotted so that the tongue shown in Figure 8 can extend through the slot. A piece of insole with a separating device mounted thereon is then placed on a last and is inserted inthe shoe with the tongue [0 extending through the slot in the old insole. This piece of insole is then nailed in place by nailing through the edge of this new piece of insole from below. The

short piece of insole is beveled off at the rear edge.

I claim:

.1. In a shoe the combination of an insole having a long slot cut therein along the long axis of the insole, said slot terminating a substantial distance from the forward end of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extending down and snugly into said slot and having a forward shoulder that rests on top of said insole forward of said slot.

2. In a shoe the combination of an insole having a long slot out therein along the long axis of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extending down into said slot and having a shoulder that rests on top of said insole, said long slot having two narrow slots'extendi-ng laterally therefrom and suitably spaced apart from each other and out of line with each other.

3. In a shoe the combination of an insole having a long slot cut therein along the long axis of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the l.ttle toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extending down into said slot and having a shoulder that rests on top of said insole, said long slot having two narrow slots extending laterally therefrom and suitably spaced apart from each other and out of line with each other, said long slot at one end having a width equal to the thickness of the separating device and at the other end tapering to a width that is somewhat narrower than the separating device.

4. In a shoe the combination of an insole having a long slot out therein alon the long axis of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extending down into said slot and having a shoulder that rests on top of said insole, said long slot havin two narrow slots textending laterally therefrom and suitably spaced apart from each other and out of line with each other, one of said narrow slots being on one side of the long slot and near one end thereof and the other slot being at the other end of the long slot and on the other side thereof. 1

5. In a shoe the combination of an insole having a long slot out therein along the long axis of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extendin down into said slot and having a shoulder that rests on top of said insole, said long slot having two narrow slots extending laterally therefrom and suitably spaced apart from each other and out of line with each other, both of said slots extending laterally on one side of the long slot.

6. In a shoe the combination of an insole having a long slot cut therein along the long axis of the insole, said slot terminating a substantial distance from the forward end of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extendng down and snugly into said slot and having a forward shoulder that rests on top of said insole forward of said slot, said separating device being curved on its forward and upper edge and being 7 adapted to engage under and support the toe part of the upper of the shoe.

7. In a shoe the combination of an insole hav- 6 ing a long slot cut therein along the long axis of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extending down into said slot and having a shoulder that rests on top of said insole, said long slot having two narrow slots extending laterally therefrom and suitably spaced apart from each other and out of line with each other, the tongue of said separating device being adapted to engage in the long slot of the insole and bend down that portion of the insole that is adjacent to the short slots.

8. In a shoe the combination of an insole having a long slot cuttherein along the axis of the insole and terminatin a substantial distance from the forward end of the insole, a separating device placed on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having an integral tongue extending down into said slot and having an adjacent shoulder that rests on top of said insole, said slot being of slightly less width than the thickness of said tongue whereby at least a portion of the longitudinal edge of said slot is depressed by insertion of said tongue and caused to grip said tongue.

9. In a shoe, the combinaton of an insole having a closed elongated rectangular slot out therein along the axis of the insole short of the toe end thereof, a separating device on the insole to separate the big toe from the little toes, said device extending up from the insole and having a tongue extending down into said slot and having a shoulder that rests on top of the insole beyond the slot, said slot having a narrow slit near one end thereof extendin laterally thereof, and said slot being somewhat narrower than said tongue adjacent said slit, whereby said tongue when projected through said slot, deforms the longitudinal edge of said slot adjacent said slit to form a lock to hold said tongue in place.

SAUL FERRI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 366,503 ONeill July 12, 1887 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 225,886 Germany Sept. 22, 1910 

